how do you like your meetings?

How would you like your club meetings to be run? The way they are. strict guide lines. Very informative. no rules just a good time, this will help the club have a better meeting for every one if you have a idea please respond

The way things usually work out, I think it would be a mistake to try to stick to a rigid structure. I personally like the way the meetings have been evolving over the last six months or so. You know: beer of the month, club business, brewing technique, then tastings and general casual conversation about beer. I find that I usually learn something useful about brewing or beer in general at almost every meeting.
I do think that we could spend a little more time on actual club business, since I always feel like I'm the last person to know about what the club is doing as a club now that the board meetings, if there are such, are no longer open to me.

I'd like to come away from our meetings with the ability to write an accurate review of any beer. I can read the BJCP guide lines anytime. I can read how-to books on brewing by the hundreds. What I can't do by myself is learn the names of the flavors and aromas of the beers I taste and be able to articulate them on paper or in a discussion. If everyone tastes one of the beers at the same time at the meeting, and discusses what flavors we are sensing, and from what malts or adjuncts those flavors (or aromas) are coming from, then we will all become better homebrewers. Anyone having any troubles brewing should be able to post on the forum and get good constructive ideas from those with more experience. If not, then everyone will start going to the "big" beer forums.

As far as the structure of the meetings go, if it's not fun anymore, I'll quit coming, and I think most people will too. As long as we have definite goals set for the meeting, there's no reason we can't have fun at the same time.

I'd just like to get a little more detailed on the tastings of the commercial examples we have at the meetings, rather than a thumbs up or down. If someone brings in a homebrewed beer with noticable faults, we could all see if we can detect them. That kind of thing.

You and Yeastmeister are members of the FOAM Rangers aren't you? Ya'll should attend one of their meetings and see just how they conduct them. They've probably had a lot of participation for a long time, where we seem to be having growing pains. Which is good, growing is a good thing...

Here are a couple of suggestions: 1. Marcello's is a great place to have a meeting, but if everyone would be open to meeting at someone's house a couple times a year (on a volunteer basis); it might provide a place with less distractions, plus give everyone a chance to get to know each other better. I think you could get a little more structure that way, because no one is going to cut up in someone else's house. 2. If we just had a few goals to work toward, we'd have a better club. Like trying to get everyone to brew something for one of the AHA club only competitions which will accept only one entry per club. I don't think that there a lot of them, so it wouldn't be too difficult. We could do a little blind tasting and members pick the best to send in. Also, we could pick one fault per meeting and make up sample beers for everyone to sample so they could identify them. ie. put a little vinegar in a beer so you can identify the acetobacter bacteria contamination. Or another is to put jolly rancher apple candy pieces in a beer to identify acetaldehyde. Just one per meeting though. 3. Ask someone to pick a topic on brewing, like increasing efficiency, and present a 5 minute talk at the next meeting.

All of these can be done at a meeting quickly so as not to bore those that already know the info, and not overwhelm those that do not. Just a few ideas, I'm sure everyone could come up with some of their own and post them here or another post on the private forum. The goals idea is a decision for the "board" to discuss and implement, not necessarily the entire club. Of course, each new president will have their own style and things will always be changing and evolving.

The DYS has always been a club for brewers of all levels of experience and goals. Some of us are high(ish)-tech, competition-oriented, BJCP types. Others are perfectly happy making extract beers from kits and bottling every batch.
This is as it should be. Those who want to learn better how to identify faults in beer should revive the BJCP study group that was proposed last winter. Jim was at one time supposed to provide a tasting wheel experience. It sounds like the study group (as an adjunct to the club rather than a primary focus) is what bdjwayne is looking for.
Personally, most of the beers I brew do not fit BJCP guidelines for any style. Many of the so-called off-flavors are actually desirable in some beers. as far as tasting is concerned, identification comes with experience. The actual "faults" don't taste quite like the examples given.
Not being a competitive brewer, the only taste issues I really concern myself with are whether or not I like a beer, and do I know enough to make a reasonable facsimile?
The point of this is that I think a separate study group is more appropriate for those who want a more intensive study than perhaps the majority of club members. We are the DYS, not the Foam Rangers, Mashtronauts or anyone else, and while I do believe we have something to learn from any and every club, we should follow our own path and not imitate any other club.

I think we're already doing some of that on a smaller scale. I think we attract the most attention for our club (and potential members) with Gulf Brew, followed by club brew days at Marcello's. (aren't we about due for another one?)

OK here is the info from the state bureaucracy "dept of revenue" the state does not recognize any non profit organization at all all. fund raisers are by case by case you must fill out form 1048 and submit it for approval, here is the link for the form. so if we want to have a club and if we want to follow the law we must do this, if not all proceeds dues money from shirts etc, must be given back. But i prefer to follow the old custom it's better ask for forgiveness than beg for permission, but we will fill out the form and submit it , because it would only take 1 disgruntled person to ruin it for everyone,
[/url]http://revenue.louisiana.gov/forms/taxforms/1048(7_02)F.pdf